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NCAA Compliance-Transfer

Transfer Students

Student-athletes from other institutions wishing to transfer to UMass Lowell must first arrange for permission to speak to us from their current school. Upon calling one of our coaches, you should hear that we may not speak to you about your transfer until we have such permission. Our coach should take your name and that of your current school and pass it on to the Compliance office. Upon receipt of this information, Compliance will contact your current school for permission to speak to you. This is generally granted without problem. Upon receipt of permission to speak, our coaching staff can begin the recruiting process.

The general rule for transfer eligibility is that all transfer students must "Sit" one year of residency prior to being eligible to compete in athletics, unless they meet the specific rules set below which vary by the type of school from which you are transferring.

Further, all transfer students are required to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the Clearinghouse). Transfers from 4-year colleges must complete only the Amateurism portion of the questionnaire found there. Transfers from 2-year colleges must ALSO complete the Academic portion, including the submission of test scores and final high school transcripts.

All transfer students must present 6 transferrable credits from their last full-time semester of attendance, which are acceptable to any degree at this institution.

Also, all transfer students entering this institution (Div. 2) must provide a complete record of academic and athletic participation from their high school to the present. Any delay of high school graduation or initial college enrollment may affect the transfer's first year of eligibility at a Division 2 institution.

2-year College Transfers

The eligibility of 2-year college transfers is difficult to establish. Transfers from 2-year institution are required to meet the following set of rules:

  • The transfer MUST have attended the 2-year college for a period of at least two academic terms AND
  • Must transfer in an average of 12 credits for every full-time term of attendance at the 2-year institution, OR
  • Must have earned an Associate's degree. (Proof MUST be received prior to the transfer either practicing or receiving ANY athletic Grant-in-Aid) AND
  • The transfer must have achieved a 2.0 GPA in all courses that are transferable.

Failure to meet the above standards render the transfer NOT eligible for Athletic Grants-in-Aid, practice or competition during their first year of attendance here.

Please also see Exceptions (below)

ALL 2-year college transfers must be interviewed by the Compliance Coordinator after arrival on campus and before reporting to any practice session.

4-year College Transfers

The eligibility of 4-year college transfers is relatively simple. The transfer must be one who would have been eligible had they remained at the previous institution. This information is verified by the Compliance Coordinator through a standard transfer form, generally sent to the transfer's previous institution shortly after the conclusion of the transfer's final semester there.

Students failing to meet this standard may practice and receive athletic aid during their first year of attendance, but may NOT compete.

If you attend an institution which offers both 2 and 4 year degrees, YOUR eligibility will depend strictly upon the type of program in which YOU have been officially enrolled.

Exceptions:

There are several exceptions available but only to transfers who have been certified as qualifiers by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. These exceptions include:

  • Discontinued/Non-sponsored sport exception (for those transfers whose original institution did not offer the sport in question).
  • Non-recruited student exception (for those transfers who were not recruited by us and have never participated in athletics at their original institution).
  • Two-year nonparticipation exception (for those transfers who have been enrolled in college for a minimum of two years and have not participated within the last two calendar years).
  • (For 4-year college transfers only) a One-time Transfer exception (the only available exception for transfers who participated at their previous institution. This exception requires that you be in good academic standing at the previous institution and would have been eligible to continue in athletics had you stayed there.)

Finally, ALL transfers must understand that their transfer eligibility status is fixed for the entire first two semesters of attendance as of the date upon which they attend their first day of classes or practice. Generally no academic/athletic steps can be taken to change your status AFTER you have begun attendance at your new institution!

THE ABOVE RULES HAVE BEEN SIMPLFIED. WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT YOU CONTACT THE COMPLIANCE OFFICE AT EACH SCHOOL TO WHICH YOU MAY TRANSFER AS ELIGIBILITY RULES MAY BE MORE COMPLEX IN YOUR CASE AND DIFFER BY NCAA DIVISION!

Related information: Search on Keywords transfer eligibility, and/or Clearinghouse at the NCAA website